Mechanical bucking horse



Dec. 9, 1930. R. H. FlKE 1,784,183

MECHANICAL BUCKING HORSE File i Jan. 15. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l I J/ I 1 W F/ j.

I gwvemiov Dec. 9, 1930 R. H. FIKE 1,784,183

MECHANICAL BUCKING HORSE Filed Jan. 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 9, 1930. R. H. FIKE 1,784,183

MECHANICAL BUCKING HORSE Filed Jan. 15. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Slnoawfoz fay x9. [I]? Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES" ROY H. mos naemlmano m cnmcn. nucxmenonsn p Applicationflled January 15, 19 29. sem life-832,713.

This: invention relates to exercising machines or toysand particularly to an exercisingmachineor. to havingthe similitude of a bucking horse} he general object ofithe 5 invention. is to provide a device; of" this description so constructed thatiby rotating a handle, thebronco may be caused to imitate the action of'a bucking horse attempting to throw its rider.

Another obj ectis torso construct the device that'the bodylof the horse as the handleis rotated will take different positions some? times with-the head down, sometimes with the head up: and the buttocks down and sometimes with the body extending more or less horizontally while the body rises and falls, thus imitating uite naturally the actions of a horse attempting'to throw its rider.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which maybe made either in full size and thus be usedas an exercising machine or in bucking contests or which may be made as atoy.

e Other objects will appear in the course of the following descriptiom 7 My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, vwherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device in oneposition of the parts, the outer covering at the junction of theneck with the-body being broken'away'to show the pivotal connection of the neck frame with the body frame; Figure-2 is a front elevation of the device; F-igure-3'is a side elevation, the base being in'section as in Figure 1 and showing another position of the horse; 1

Figure 4' is a like-view to Figure 3 but,

showing-still another position which the parts take; I

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the framework, the base and cranks being in--=section;

FigureG-is a front elevation of the front and the-base;

Figure 7'is-a top lan view of the same;

Figure Sisa si e elevation showing the figure with a manikin mounted thereon.

In the embodiment of myinvention which I have illustrated, the frame of the bronco or other animal-is preferably I formed of wire. I do notvwish' to be limited to this, however,'as obviously, except in certain features, the frame of the bronco might be made of other material thanawire- The body A has hin 'dlyconnected'to it the neck B formed wi thehead C which isrigid 'With' the neck The" rearlegs of the animal are shown as being: formed of an elongated loop or; U- shafiped member. 10 of relatively: heavyand sti wire; the. forelegs -ofrthe=animal being formed bythe elongated lo'op or' U-shaped memberv 11 also being formedof stifi wire; These loops 10and '11 are disposed inslight- 1y! angular relation to each other so; that 'if t e 'forelegs- 11 are approximately vertical,

thehindlegs will extend downward and for ward. q 7

Connecting, the hind legs -,-is across bar a of wire designated 12; and connecting the forelegs is a. crossbar of wire designated 13.;

This Wire'is wrappedabout-and securely engaged with the forelegs and hind; legs formed by themembers 11 and- .10. Extending around approximately: the chest-:1 of the manikin'is an approximatelyielliptical wire brace 14 i-formed' at intervalswith eyes 15. To form theback-bone, as itirnay be termed, of the. animal, a single length of wire is taken and-folded at'itsmidd'le, the bight end of the wire being bent to form aneye 16,,the loop-" 17 3 embracing the forward U-shaped member, llwadjacent its apex. The two lengths-ofiwiredesi' ated '18 are thenvexten edirearwardan wrapped around the rear U-shaped member 10 and. then extended further: rearward: to constitute thetai-l or corezof the tailv19. To constitute theflanks of the animal orthesides of the animal, two lengths of iwire'are taken and bent'at the mi die to form a bight andi then: looped around the forward u-shaped memberll'on each sideof the animal asat 19, then extended forward; to form 5 theloop 20. The two lengths of thefolded'wire are extended rearward through the eyesf'15 and engaged with by wrapping aroundtheleg orzmember 10. The under sideof the frame constitutingthe body "is formed by a single length of wire bent at its middle; the bight endrof the wire being wrapped aroundthe crossbar 13 as at by means which will now be described.

21, the length of wire then being extended rearward and wrapped around the cross bar 12 as at 22. Thus it will be seen that a frame is formed which has the general contour of a horse and upon this frame a suitable padding and covering may be placed.

To the loops 20 is pivotally connected a framework designated generally 23 and formed of wire in resemblance of a horses head. The wire frame may be made in any desired manner but it is formed with the two loops 2% which engage with the loops 20 so that the horses head may swing in a vertical plane on these loops. An elastic cord 24f of any suitable nature is connected to a cross bar 25 of the frame and extends through the eye 16, then over the circle 14 and is looped beneath the tail 19. This elastic cord may be made of a rubber band.

This cord will elastically hold the headeither in a fully raised position or fully lowered position but will permit the head to swing up or down sometimes past its center as the body of the horse is violently oscillated The body is shown as being disposed between two walls or supports 26 and through these walls pass the crank shafts 27 and 28. One of these shafts, as for instance the shaft 27, is provided with a crank 29 whereby the shaft may be rotated. The shafts are formed with the cranks 30 and 31 and these crank portions pass through the eyes formed by the lower ends of the legs of the U-shaped members 10 and 11. Connecting the crank shafts between the portions 30 and 31 is a connecting rod 32. i v

WVith this construction, as the crank shaft is operated, the forward crank will cause the forward U-shaped member 11 to be altern ately raised and lowered. Now if the rear crank shaft is positively connected with the forward crank shaft to have simultaneous movement at the same rate and in the same direction as the forward crank shaft, the body of the horse would move in a uniform, slightly elliptical path but as a matter of fact this does not occur withmy mechanism for the reason that as the'forward crank shaft moves downward and rearward a point will be reached where the connecting rod will exert an upward thrust upon the rear crank shaft and a further movement of the forward crank shaft will, therefore, force the rear crank shaft in an opposite direction, hoisting up on the rear of the animal while the head of the animal is downward.

A further movement carrying the crank shaft upward and forward will cause the rear crank shaft to shift downward and rearward rapidly, thus causing the tail of the animal to be depressed and upon a further movement of the forward crank shaft the rear crank will move upward and forward until suddenly the two crank shafts will come instance engine of a cowboy may be mounted upon the horse and move therewith and if the figure be loosely mounted upon the figure of the bronco but so that itcannot be detached, it will be obvious that the figure will take different positions depending upon the movement of the body ofthehorse which will simulate a cowboy attempting to ride a bucking bronco.

As before remarked, this device may be made elther in a small size, as in a small toy or in a larger size as an exercising machine or as a trainlng machine upon which real cowboys may ride until unseated. The body of the horse takes a large variety of different positions quite-similar to those taken by a bucking bronco, for instance, the bronco in buckin will rear u ward u on its hind le s to try and slide the cowboy ofl' backward or sometimes the bucking bronco will depress the head and elevate his body at the rear so as to cause the rider to slide off over the head of the animal. Thesepositions are. all taken by the mechanism which I have devised. l

While I have illustrated certain details of construction, which permitthe body of the toy to be very readily and yet cheaply made, yet I do not wish to be limited to this as obviously many changes might be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. V

I do not wish to be limited to any particular framework for the construction of this device as the frame might be varied in many ways within the scope of the claims. It is suflicient that there shall be a supporting frame and preferably the neck and head of the bronco will have a frame which is pivotally connected to the frame of the body and the head will beelastically held in a normal position. I claim 1. A mechanism of the character described, comprising the similitude of an animal body having two forelegs and two hind legs, the legs being rigid with the body of the animal, a head having a neck, the neck being hingedly connected to the body and moving in a vertical plane, an elastic member attached to the body beyond the pivotal center of the head and neck and extending along the neck and engaged with the head, the head when shifted in either direction beyond the neutral point carrying the elastic member across the pivotal center whereby the elastic member tends to yieldingly hold the head in oneof two positions, forward and rear crank shafts connected to the respective forward and rear legs of the shafts, means for turning one of said crank shafts, and a connecting rod connecting the two crank shafts.

2. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a body having a similitude of an animal and havin two forelegs and two hind legs, the legs ing rigid with relation to each other, the legs at their lower ends being formed with loops, crank shafts having cranks en agin said loops, one of said cranks being orme with means whereby it may be rotated, a connecting rod connecting the two crank shafts, a head havin a neck, the neck being hingedly connecte to the body and movin in a vertical plane, the body being formed with an eye at the junction of the neck with the body, and an elastic member attached to the body and extending through said e e and then upward to the top of the head an longitudinally along the neck, this elastic member actin to yieldingly hold the head in either one 0 two positions past the dead center of the elastic member.

3. A mechanism of the character described,

' comprising a frame-work formed in the similitude of an animal body, and including an approximately U-shaped wire constituting forelegs of the animal and an a proximately U-shaped wire constituting the rear legs of the animal, longitudinal wires forming the frame work of the body and joined with the first named wires, certain of the longitudinal wires at their forward ends being formed to provide s, a head and neck frame hingedly connecte to said loops and. moving in a vertical plane, elastic means holding the head and neck ieldingl in one position, transversely exten ing cran shafts aving cranks engaging the lower ends of the forward and rear legs, one of said cranks having means whereby it may be rotated,

and a connecting rod between said crank shafts. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ROY H. FIKE. 

